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Dave Camp's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)

Key

Official Position: Candidate addressed this issue directly by taking the Political Courage Test.

Inferred Position: Candidate refused to address this issue, but Vote Smart inferred this issue based on the candidate's public record, including statements, voting record, and special interest group endorsements.

Unknown Position: Candidate refused to address this issue, or we could not infer an answer for this candidate despite exhaustive research of their public record.

Additional Information: Click on this icon to reveal more information about this candidate's position, from their answers or Vote Smart's research.

Other or Expanded Principles & Legislative Priorities are entered exactly as candidates submit them. Vote Smart does not edit for misspelled words, punctuation or grammar.

What else does Camp say?

Dave Camp refused to tell citizens where he stands on any of the issues addressed in the 2012 Political Courage Test, despite repeated requests from Vote Smart, national media, and prominent political leaders.

What is the Political Courage Test?

Issue Positions

For Presidential and Congressional candidates who refuse to provide voters with their positions, Vote Smart has researched their public records to determine their likely responses. These issue positions are from 2012.

Pro-life

Abortion: Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation?

Pro-life

Yes

Afghanistan: Do you support United States' combat operations in Afghanistan?

Yes

Budget: In order to balance the budget, do you support reducing defense spending?

Budget: In order to balance the budget, do you support an income tax increase on any tax bracket?

Economy: Do you support federal spending as a means of promoting economic growth?

Yes

Economy: Do you support providing tax incentives to businesses for the purpose of job creation?

Yes

Dave Camp. HR 2. 108th Congress. Jobs and Economic Growth bill. Dave Camp voted Yea on 05/23/2003. (votesmart.org)
Dave Camp. Project Vote Smart: 1996 Michigan Congressional Political Courage Test. Checked SUPPORT for: "a) Provide tax credits for companies that move job-creating industries into areas with high unemployment." Indicate which principles you support regarding unemployment. Other or expanded principles: "Support deductability of employer-provided educational assistance. "
Dave Camp. Project Vote Smart: 1998 Michigan Congressional Political Courage Test. Checked SUPPORT for: "a) Provide tax credits for companies that move job-creating industries into areas with high unemployment."
Dave Camp. Project Vote Smart: 2000 Michigan Congressional Political Courage Test. Checked SUPPORT for: "a) Provide tax credits for companies that move job-creating industries into areas with high unemployment."
Dave Camp. HR 2488. 106th Congress. Financial Freedom Act of 1999. Dave Camp voted Yea on 08/05/1999. (votesmart.org)

Unknown Position

Education: Do you support requiring states to implement education reforms in order to be eligible for competitive federal grants?

Unknown Position

Yes

Energy: Do you support reducing restrictions on offshore energy production?

Yes

Environment: Do you support the federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions?

Guns: Do you support restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns?

Yes

Health Care: Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act?

Yes

Immigration: Do you support requiring illegal immigrants to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship?

Yes

Marriage: Do you support same-sex marriage?

Dave Camp. Project Vote Smart: 2004 Michigan Congressional Political Courage Test. Selected "Yes" for: "k) Should marriage be restricted to a union only between a man and a woman?"
Family Research Council. 04/18/2012. "Dave Camp supported the interests of the Family Research Council 85 percent in 2006." (votesmart.org)
Dave Camp. HR 2965. 112th Congress. Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act. Dave Camp voted Nay on 12/15/2010. (votesmart.org)
American Family Association. 04/18/2012. "Dave Camp supported the interests of the American Family Association 94 percent in 2010." (votesmart.org)
Human Rights Campaign. 04/18/2012. "Dave Camp supported the interests of the Human Rights Campaign 0 percent in 2010." (votesmart.org)
American Civil Liberties Union. 04/18/2012. "Dave Camp supported the interests of the American Civil Liberties Union 15 percent in 2006." (votesmart.org)
Dave Camp. HR 3685. 110th Congress. Sexual Orientation Employment Nondiscrimination Act (ENDA). Dave Camp voted Nay on 11/07/2007. (votesmart.org)
Traditional Values Coalition. 04/18/2012. "Dave Camp supported the interests of the Traditional Values Coalition 85 percent in 2006" (votesmart.org)
Dave Camp. H J Res 88. 110th Congress. Same-Sex Marriage Resolution. Dave Camp voted Yea on 07/18/2006. (votesmart.org)
Dave Camp. Project Vote Smart: 2006 Michigan Congressional Political Courage Test. Selected "Yes" for: "i) Do you support a constitutional amendment that would define marriage as a union between a man and woman?"
Dave Camp. Project Vote Smart: 2008 Michigan Congressional Political Courage Test. Selected "No" for: "a) Should same-sex couples be allowed to marry?"
Dave Camp. Project Vote Smart: 2008 Michigan Congressional Political Courage Test. Selected "Yes" for: "b) Do you support a federal constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman?"

Unknown Position

National Security: Do you support targeting suspected terrorists outside of official theaters of conflict?

Unknown Position

Dave Camp. Project Vote Smart: 2004 Michigan Congressional Political Courage Test. Selected "Yes" for: "f) Do you support a policy of pre-emptive strikes against countries deemed to be a threat to national security?"
Dave Camp. Defense. 22 August 2012. "The death of Osama bin Laden and the killing and capture of hundreds of high-ranking figures has left al Qaeda a weak and decentralized organization. The U.S. and our allies must remain ever-vigilant in defeating al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and wherever else it rears its ugly head." (camp.house.gov)
Dave Camp. Issue Position: Terrorism. 23 January 2012. "As a former member of the Homeland Security Committee, Congressman Camp knows our soldiers around the globe, especially in Iraq and Afghanistan, are engaged in a life and death struggle for our safety. Dave will continue to support the war on terror and use the unsurpassed power of the U.S. armed forces to hunt down terrorists in the shadows where they hide and plot against innocent Americans. Congressman Camp continues to support full funding for our military to ensure that our fighting men and women on the front lines have the best resources. Dave believes we must take the fight to the terrorists, so that we do not have to fight them in the streets of U.S. cities. Every penny spent on our armed forces allows our military to find the terrorists and destroy their networks so we can prevent another 9/11." (votesmart.org)

Yes

Social Security: Do you support allowing individuals to divert a portion of their Social Security taxes into personal retirement accounts?

Yes

This candidate has responded to a Political Courage Test in a previous election. As a continued effort to provide the American public with factual information on candidates running for public office, these archived responses are made available here.

Michigan Congressional Election 2008 Political Courage Test

The Political Courage Test asks candidates which items they will support if elected. It does not ask them to indicate which items they will oppose. Through extensive research of public polling data, we discovered that voters are more concerned with what candidates would support when elected to office, not what they oppose. If a candidate does not select a response to any part or all of any question, it does not necessarily indicate that the candidate is opposed to that particular item.

Abortion Issues

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding abortion.

		a) Abortions should always be illegal.
		b) Abortions should always be legal.
		c) Abortions should be legal only within the first trimester.
X		d) Abortions should be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape.
X		e) Abortions should be legal when the life of the woman is endangered.
		f) Dilation and extraction or "partial-birth" abortion procedures should be legal.
X		g) Medicare, Medicaid, and federal subsidies should be prohibited from being used on abortion procedures.
		h) Other or expanded principles.

Budgetary, Spending, and Tax Issues

Indicate what federal funding levels (#1-6) you support for the following general categories. Select one number per category, you can use a number more than once.1) Budget Priorities2) Defense Spending3) TaxesIndicate what federal tax levels (#1-6) you support for the following general categories. Select one number per category, you can use a number more than once.Family Income TaxesOther TaxesDeductions/Credits

Maintain Status		a) Agriculture
Maintain Status		b) Arts
Maintain Status		c) Defense
Maintain Status		d) Education
Maintain Status		e) Environment
Maintain Status		f) FEMA
Maintain Status		g) Homeland security
Maintain Status		h) International aid
Maintain Status		i) Law enforcement (Federal)
Maintain Status		j) Law enforcement (State)
Maintain Status		k) Medical research
Maintain Status		l) National parks
Maintain Status		m) Public health services
Maintain Status		n) Scientific research
Slightly Decrease		o) Space exploration programs
Maintain Status		p) Transportation and highway infrastructure
Greatly Decrease		q) United Nations
Maintain Status		r) Welfare
		s) Other or expanded categories
Maintain Status		a) Armed forces personnel training
Slightly Increase		b) Intelligence operations
Maintain Status		c) Military hardware
Maintain Status		d) Modernization of weaponry and equipment
Maintain Status		e) National missile defense
Slightly Increase		f) Pay for active duty personnel
Maintain Status		g) Programs to improve troop retention rates
Maintain Status		h) Research and development of new weapons
Slightly Increase		i) Troop and equipment readiness
		j) Other or expanded categories
Eliminate		a) Less than $12,000
Greatly Decrease		b) $12,001-$40,000
Slightly Decrease		c) $40,001-$100,000
Slightly Decrease		d) $100,001-$180,000
Maintain Status		e) $180,001-$350,000
Maintain Status		f) $350,001 and above
		g) Other or expanded categories
Slightly Decrease		a) Alcohol taxes
Eliminate		b) Capital gains taxes
Maintain Status		c) Cigarette taxes
Slightly Decrease		d) Corporate taxes
Maintain Status		e) Gasoline taxes
Eliminate		f) Inheritance taxes
		g) Other or expanded categories
Maintain Status		a) Charitable contribution deduction
Slightly Increase		b) Child tax credit
Maintain Status		c) Earned income tax credit
Greatly Increase		d) Medical expense deduction
Maintain Status		e) Mortgage deduction
Slightly Increase		f) Student loan credit
		g) Other or expanded categories
Yes		4) Do you support the permanent repeal of the federal estate tax?
Yes		5) Do you support requiring the federal budget to be balanced each year?
		6) Other or expanded principles

Campaign Finance and Government Reform Issues

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding campaign finance and government reform.

X		a) Support increasing the amount individuals are permitted to contribute to federal campaigns.
		b) Prohibit Political Action Committee (PAC) contributions to candidates for federal office.
		c) Allow unregulated soft money campaign contributions to political parties or committees.
		d) Remove all contribution limits on federal campaigns and parties.
		e) Support prohibiting ads containing candidates' name that are paid for by third parties from airing 60 days before a primary and 30 days before a general federal election.
		f) Support instant run-off voting (IRV).
		g) Support designating Election Day as a national holiday.
X		h) Support giving the President the power of the line item veto for items concerning appropriations.
		i) Support limiting the President's use of signing statements in order to prevent an alternative interpretation of the bill.
		j) Support a federal shield law to protect reporter-source privilege.
		k) Other or expanded principles

Crime Issues

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding crime.

X		a) Support the use of the death penalty for federal crimes.
		b) Eliminate the use of the death penalty for federal crimes.
X		c) Support programs to provide prison inmates with vocational and job-related skills and job-placement assistance when released.
X		d) Support programs to provide prison inmates with drug and alcohol addiction treatment.
		e) Reduce prison sentences for those who commit non-violent crimes.
		f) Support mandatory jail sentences for selling illegal drugs.
		g) Support strict penalties for internet crime (e.g. hacking, identity theft, worms/viruses).
		h) Require that crimes based on sexual orientation be prosecuted as federal hate crimes.
		i) Other or expanded principles

Education Issues

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding education.

		a) Support the federal government funding universal pre-K programs.
X		b) Allow parents to use vouchers to send their children to any public school.
X		c) Allow parents to use vouchers to send their children to any private or religious school.
X		d) Allow teachers and professionals to receive federal funding to establish charter or magnet schools.
X		e) Increase funding for the Pell Grant program.
X		f) Decrease interest rates of Stafford Loans.
X		g) Support federal tax incentives to help families save for college.
		h) Ban university financial aid officers from owning stock in or accepting gifts from student loan lenders.
		i) Require universities to disclose financial relationships with lenders.
		j) Support federal education standards and testing requirements for K-12 students (No Child Left Behind).
		k) Eliminate all federal education standards and testing requirements for K-12 students (No Child Left Behind).
States should be given broad authority to meet the goals of No Child Left Behind.

Employment Issues

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding employment.

X		a) Increase funding for national job-training programs that retrain displaced workers or teach skills needed in todays job market.
X		b) Reduce government regulation of the private sector.
X		c) Encourage employers to offer child care services, flex-time scheduling, comp-time, and unpaid leave for family emergencies.
		d) Increase the federal minimum wage.
		e) Support the right of workers to unionize.
		f) Eliminate all federal programs designed to reduce unemployment.
		g) Include sexual orientation in federal anti-discrimination laws.
		h) Include gender identity in federal anti-discrimination laws.
		i) Other or expanded principles

Environment and Energy Issues

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding the environment and energy.

		a) Strengthen the regulation and enforcement of the Clean Water Act.
		b) Strengthen the regulation and enforcement of the Clean Air Act.
X		c) Support increased development of traditional energy resources (e.g. coal, natural gas, oil).
		d) Strengthen emission controls on all gasoline and diesel-powered engines, including cars, trucks, and sport utility vehicles.
		e) Strengthen fuel efficiency standards on all gasoline and diesel-powered engines, including cars, trucks, and sport utility vehicles.
X		f) Support domestic oil exploration in areas that are currently restricted.
X		g) Encourage further development and use of alternative fuels.
X		h) Support the use of ethanol as an alternative fuel.
X		i) Support research and development of nuclear reactors as an alternative energy source.
		j) Allow energy producers to trade pollution credits under "cap and trade" laws.
		k) Support international mandatory emission targets to limit global warming.
		l) Support international voluntary emission targets to limit global warming.
		m) Other or expanded principles

Gun Issues

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding guns.On (c) and (d), indicate what levels (#1-6) you support for the following categories.

X		a) Allow individuals to carry concealed guns.
		b) Ban the sale, ownership or possession of handguns except by law enforcement and other government officials.
Maintain Status		c) Enforcement of existing restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
Maintain Status		d) Restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
		e) Other or expanded principles

Health Issues

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding health.

		a) Implement a universal healthcare program to guarantee coverage to all Americans, regardless of income.
X		b) Expand eligibility for tax-free medical savings accounts.
		c) Allow the importation of prescription drugs into the United States.
		d) Support expanding prescription drug coverage under Medicare.
X		e) Offer tax credits to individuals and small businesses to offset the cost of insurance coverage.
		f) Support expanding child healthcare programs.
		g) Providing healthcare is not a responsibility of the federal government.
		h) Other or expanded principles

Immigration Issues

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding immigration.

X		a) Decrease the number of legal immigrants allowed into the country.
X		b) Establish English as the official national language.
X		c) Support a temporary worker program.
X		d) Support harsher financial punishments for those who knowingly employ illegal immigrants.
		e) Support amnesty for illegal immigrants already working in the United States.
X		f) Illegal immigrants should have to return to their countries of origin before being considered for citizenship.
X		g) Illegal immigrants should be given a pathway to citizenship.
		h) Support merit-based visas over family-based visas.
		i) Other or expanded principles

International Aid, International Policy, and International Trade Issues

International AidIndicate which principles you support (if any) regarding international aid.International PolicyIndicate which principles you support (if any) regarding international policy.International TradeIndicate which principles you support (if any) regarding international trade.

X		a) Support the United States granting aid to countries when extraordinary circumstances cause disaster and threaten civilian lives.
X		b) Support the United States granting aid to countries when it is in the security interests of the United States.
		c) Eliminate United States aid for any nation with documented human rights abuses.
		d) Aid granted by the United States should be scaled back and eventually eliminated.
		e) Other or expanded principles
Yes		a) Should the United States continue to provide leadership in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process?
Yes		b) Should the United States support the creation of a Palestinian state?
Yes		c) Should the United States impose greater international sanctions on Iran if it continues to defy United Nations mandates?
Yes		d) Should the United States support the Lebanese government against insurgent forces?
Yes		e) Should the United States maintain its troop levels in Iraq?
No		f) Should the United States withdraw its troops from Iraq?
Undecided		h) Should the United States apply greater economic and diplomatic sanctions against North Korea if it fails to abide by its agreement to suspend its nuclear program?
No		i) Should the United States increase financial support for Afghanistan?
No		j) Should the United States increase military support for Afghanistan?
Yes		k) Should the United States trade nuclear fuel to India for civilian purposes?
No		l) Should the United States decrease financial support for Pakistan?
No		m) Should the United States decrease military support for Pakistan?
Yes		n) Should the United States be involved in bringing an end to the violence in Darfur, Sudan?
Yes		o) Should the United States be involved in bringing an end to the violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo?
Yes		p) Should the United States provide economic and military support to the Transitional Government of Somalia?
Yes		q) Should the United States use sanctions to encourage the government of Zimbabwe to end its human rights abuses?
Yes		r) Should the United States support the creation of an independent nation of Kosovo?
		s) Other or expanded principles
No		a) Do you support the United States imposing economic sanctions on China?
Yes		b) Do you support the United States imposing trade sanctions on Venezuela?
Yes		c) Do you support the United States involvement in free trade agreements?
Yes		d) Do you support the United States involvement in intergovernmental organizations dedicated to trade?
		e) Other or expanded principles
My position is that the Iraqis need to do more, and we need to start doing less. We have sacrificed greatly to end a regime that harbored and promoted terrorism, including gassing its own people, but now is the time for free Iraqis to take control. American troops should not remain in Iraq a day longer than necessary, but we cannot simply walk away just as the country is beginning to stabilize. A viable and stable Iraq is vital to the long-term security of our nation, and we must not abandon the mission at this critical time.

National Security Issues

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding national security.

Yes		a) Do you support using military tribunals to try suspected terrorists when ordinary civilian courts are deemed inappropriate or impractical?
No		b) Should law enforcement agencies have greater discretion to monitor domestic communications, to prevent future terrorist attacks?
Yes		c) Should the United States hold foreign states accountable for terrorists who operate in their country?
Undecided		d) Should the federal government increase funding to states and cities for homeland security?
Undecided		e) Do you support pre-emptive military strikes against countries deemed to be a threat to United States national security?
No		f) Do you support the creation of a federal identification card system?
Yes		g) Do you support long-term use of National Guard troops to supplement the armed forces in assignments overseas?
Yes		h) Should the United States expand its missile defense shield?
		i) Other or expanded principles

Social Issues

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding social issues.

No		a) Should same-sex couples be allowed to marry?
Yes		b) Do you support a federal constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman?
Yes		c) Do you support federal funding for research on existing embryonic stem cell lines?
No		d) Do you support federal funding to create lines of stem cells from new embryos?
No		e) Should the federal government consider race and gender in government contracting decisions?
No		f) Should the federal government continue affirmative action programs?
Yes		g) Should the federal government regulate internet gambling?
		h) Other or expanded principles

Social Security Issues

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding Social Security.

X		a) Allow workers to invest a portion of their payroll tax in private accounts that they manage themselves.
		b) Ensure the viability of Social Security by increasing the payroll tax.
		c) Decrease benefits paid to retirees.
		d) Support proportional increases of Social Security benefits based on the cost of living index.
		e) Raise the retirement age for individual eligibility to receive full Social Security benefits.
		f) Other or expanded principles

Welfare and Poverty Issues

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding welfare and poverty.

X		a) Require welfare recipients to spend at least 40 hours a week in a combination of work and training programs.
X		b) Continue to give states and local governments flexibility in and responsibility for welfare programs through federal block grants.
X		c) Support housing assistance for welfare recipients.
		d) Abolish all federal welfare programs.
		e) Other or expanded principles

Legislative Priorities

Please explain in a total of 100 words or less, your top two or three priorities if elected. If they require additional funding for implementation, please explain how you would obtain this funding.

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What else does Camp say?

Dave Camp's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)

Key

Issue Positions

This candidate has responded to a Political Courage Test in a previous election. As a continued effort to provide the American public with factual information on candidates running for public office, these archived responses are made available here.

Abortion Issues

Budgetary, Spending, and Tax Issues

Campaign Finance and Government Reform Issues

Crime Issues

Education Issues

Employment Issues

Environment and Energy Issues

Gun Issues

Health Issues

Immigration Issues

International Aid, International Policy, and International Trade Issues

National Security Issues

Social Issues

Social Security Issues

Welfare and Poverty Issues

Legislative Priorities

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